Propeller-wheel



llminn *rnrns PATENT rrrca NICHOLAS CAIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PROPELLERWHEEL.

SPECIPLCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,789, dated January13, 1885. Application filed October 11, 1884. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nrcnonns CAIN, of Detroit, county of Wayne, State ofMichigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPropeller-Vheels; and I declare the following to beafull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My nvention relates to an improvement in propellerwheels, as hereinafterspecified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view, and Fig.2 a side view, of apropeller-wheel embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a side view with thewheel revolved ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a view of the opposite end from that shown in Fig. 1.

Heretofore propeller-wheels have generally been made with two, three, orfour blades, the plane of each blade arranged at au angie with the axisof the shaft corresponding with any desired degree of pitch. Suchdevices, however, have been found to so agitate and beat up the water inwhich the wheel is turning that the wheel fails to profit by all theresistance which the water would otherwise af'ford.

It is the object of my invention to produce an improved form of wheel,Which, with a given diameter, will utilize to a much larger extent theresistance of the water. I accomplish this as follows: A represents thehub; B, the blades. The blades are two in number. Each blade is made tonearly or quite encircle the hub, as shown in Fig. 2. It GX- tends fromb and ends at b, and the depth of the blade is measured in the directionof the axisviz., the distance b b is nearly as great as the distancebetween planes bounding the extreme front and rear of the wheel.

The cutting or leading edges b are arranged substantially as shown inFig. 4, and I pre fer, in bringing them to an edge, to bevel away thematerial from the rear instead of from the front of the blade.

I have discovered by practical use of this wheel that water interceptedor cut by one of the blades B is not splashed and broken to the extentusual with propeller-whecls, but is driven directly back of the wheel,and that when it passes beyond the rear edge, b of the blade it is notpermitted to eddy around in front of the blade, because the leading edgeof the other blade has already passed in advance of the said dischargingwater. The construction is, moreovcr, such ad jaeent to the hub that thewater is not here beaten and splashed; but the leading edges cut thewater naturally and throw it to the rear along an unbroken and naturalchannel formed between the two blades. the driving-power is wasted bythis beating and splashing process, which always represents a resistanceto the propelling effect of the power. I have always found lbyexperience with the wheel that with the same exercise of power a wheellike mine of a given diameter effects a considerably greater propulsionof the boat than is effected by one of the propeller-wheels of the usualconstruction. The rear edges of the blades are indicated by b in Fig. 4.These edges also incline slightly forward as they approach the hub, asshown in Fig. 4. discharge of the water adjacent to and along the lineof the shaft, and obviates in a considerable degree the tendency of thewater to dis charge by eentrifugal action from the periphcry of theblade. It will be seen that while the cutting-edges b are nearlystraight the rear edges, b, curvc from the point of each blade throughsubstantially about one-third of thecircle described from the axis A,and then curve inward toward the axis, causing each blade to somewhatresemble in projec tion an ellipse.

Having thus I claim is- 1. A propeller wheel having two blades 'mountedspirally upon an axis which is en tirely embraced by each, the leadingedges of each blade being nearly straight and the rear edges eurved andinclined slightly forward as they approach the axis, substantially asdescribed.

2. A propeller -wheel described my invention, what having its leadingedges b" slightly curved and its rear edges, b curved from the point ofeach blade substantially in the are of about one-third the circledescribed from the axis A, and then eurved This construction assists anatural inward to the axis, the blades being spirally" mounted on saidaxis and entirely or nearly the circle described from the axis,andcurved 10 embracing it, substantially as described. thence nward,substantially as described.

3. The prope1ler-wheel hayng two blades, In testimony whereof I signthis specifica- B B, spirally mouhted on 2L hub, A, and ention in thepresence of two wtnesses. 5 tre1y or nearly entire1y embracing it said yT b1adeshaving1eding edgesb whichare1early NIC] OLAS CAIL' straight orcurved but slightly, and rear edges, VVitnesses: b which from the pointsof the blades are N. S. WRIGHT, substantially coincident With aboutone-third M. B. ODOGHERTY.

